Points of interest along a route?

[ppine]

How did people travel before the internet? They looked at some guide books. They read billboards, and they kept their eyes open when traveling for interesting places to visit. None of this is new, and it is not difficult. You just have to learn to be more spontaneous instead of planning your trip 3 months in advance.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

Is this really a legitimate question?

Yes, and it has resulted in legitimate helpful answers.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by ppine

... You just have to learn to be more spontaneous instead of planning your trip 3 months in advance.

You assume we don't do that. Is there a problem with having additional information resources?

[retiredintexas]

We have used Moon travel books extensively for the last 5 years. They are paper, but are easier to read than a phone screen. We get them in the secondary market for 4-5 dollars per state. Very detailed and somewhat current, even though they may be a few years old

[rsdata]

We have used Moon travel books extensively for the last 5 years. They are paper, but are easier to read than a phone screen. We get them in the secondary market for 4-5 dollars per state. Very detailed and somewhat current, even though they may be a few years old

THanks for this tip... always looking for good travel information.

I looked over the selections on amazon... I certainly did not see anything used for like $4-5 though... more like $17-$22

Is your used $5 source used book stores, garage sales and/or flea markets?

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by retiredintexas

We have used Moon travel books extensively for the last 5 years. They are paper, but are easier to read than a phone screen. We get them in the secondary market for 4-5 dollars per state. Very detailed and somewhat current, even though they may be a few years old

Thanks. We'll check them out. DW likes hard copy.

[retiredintexas]

The cheapest, we have found is on Ebay and have purchased most from there

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by retiredintexas

The cheapest, we have found is on Ebay and have purchased most from there.

I'll guess that most of the things they list don't change much from year to year, unless the recent economy killed some.

[tajmahaulers]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

Is this really a legitimate question?

I bought my first RV when I was 24-- 50 years ago. I enjoyed this question and the answers that followed.

[mokershner]

Grew up with Rand McNally and Mapsco but I also use Google maps. Search "things to see or do near me" or "things to see or do near Unadilla, GA" and it will bring up a telephone museum, a cotton museum, and other neat items. Keep scrolling around till you find something that grabs you. Maybe not the best when trying to plan a long trip but good when you have downtime at a campground.

[tyler811]

geocaching.com

Earth caches teach you about geology taking you to rivers, waterfalls, caves, mountains. Just about anything.

Virtual caches will take you points of interest such memorials, people in history, buildings.

Regular caches can be anything a box full of kids toys to leading you to the highest peak in South Dakota (Black Elk Peak) To a WW2 bombing range 12 miles into the the Black Hills.

[Mandog]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

How do you search for things of interest along your route? I don't mean the usual points of interest like Flying J or a Walmart where you can stay overnight, but a place to stop along the way simply because it's interesting, like historical sites or scenic overlooks nearby that aren't necessarily directly on your route. RVParky and RVTripWizard both are good at telling you where to eat, sleep and get gas but not about things that are fun or educational to visit.

Yelp and trip advisor might have some points of interest..

[vi11agep]

Sometimes things just appear out of nowhere, like the Pioneers Archway Museum in Kearny, Nebraska, the Sand Crane capital of the world. It spans I-80 and is well worth a visit. For a small fee you can take an escalator up over the highway to view a series of very realistic dioramas depicting life from early westward expansion through the space age. The crane migration was out of season while we were there, but I'm sure it would be an amazing spectacle. If in doubt, stop and explore.

[wjijr1951]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

How do you search for things of interest along your route? I don't mean the usual points of interest like Flying J or a Walmart where you can stay overnight, but a place to stop along the way simply because it's interesting, like historical sites or scenic overlooks nearby that aren't necessarily directly on your route. RVParky and RVTripWizard both are good at telling you where to eat, sleep and get gas but not about things that are fun or educational to visit.

Roadtrippers.com has POI for your route.

[Qbertsue]

I'm so glad that you asked this question- so many great ideas that I hadn't thought of!

[Accountingphd]

Depending on if it is your thing but I like factorytoursusa.com. We’ve seen airplanes in Afton, multiple RVs, ice cream, jelly beans and everything in between. I also visit onlyinyourstate.com. Where you look depends on what you like to do and how long you will be some place. Into geocaching, wacky roadside parks, waterfall hikes, there is a site.

[chriscowles]

Thanks to all who have contributed ideas.

[Dale Harmon]

I use the Trip Advisor website to see what the top things to see and do in a town or city I am visiting. It will also give you suggestions in the surrounding area. Depending on the size of the place, it will rank between five and sometimes more than 20 attractions. I understand the rankings come from reader input so you get the info from fellow travelers.

[Boomerweps]

iExit is an app that tells you about stuff around or near an interstate exit.

[aspengirl]

We use state maps, an atlas, Internet searches for along the routes we plan to take, and if there's a state information center, we stop for a guide book for the state we are entering. I guess we're old fashioned, to some extent, as books and maps are very helpful to us. Another thing we do, is when reading different forums, and the like, we jot down (in my computer) various points of interest we might like to visit some day.